The counting of votes in four Lok Sabha seats that went to polls is underway in states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu on Sunday, 2 May.
The Congress is leading in the Kanyakumari constituency in Tamil Nadu and witnessed a defeat in the Belgaum parliamentary constituency in Karnataka, where the BJP won. In Andhra’s Tirupati, the ruling YSR Congress Party is headed towards a win while the Indian Union Muslim League won the Malappuram constituency in Kerala.
The bypoll results come amid a ferocious second wave of the coronavirus, which has left the country’s healthcare system paralysed and is contributing to over three thousand officially recorded deaths in the country daily.
Belgaum
In a close election in Karnataka’s Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency, BJP candidate Mangala Angadi won against Congress’ Satish Jarkiholi, data from the Election Commission confirmed.
Tirupati
The counting is also ongoing in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, where the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) headed towards retaining the seat as its candidate M Gurmoorthy established a comfortable lead of over 95,000 votes by noon on Sunday, Times of India reported.
The by-election in this parliamentary constituency was held on 17 April 2021 following the demise of the YSRC's Balli Durgaprasad in September last year.
Kanyakumari
In this Lok Sabha bypoll, Congress’ candidate Vijay Vasanth held a lead, The Hindu reported. The by-polls in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari constituency were necessitated following Vasantha Kumar’s death due to COVID-19.
Malappuram
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate MP Abdussamad Samadani won the parliamentary constituency against Left Democratic Front (LDF) adversary VP Sanu, the Election Commission data confirmed
The Malappuram by-election was necessitated after IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty resigned from the Lok Sabha to contest the Assembly poll.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)